


Electrical Surge

by LB0917



Category: Pentatonix
Genre: Cheating, EDC, M/M, Marson - Freeform, Pining, Scomark, only a little bit of sadness this time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:27:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28718859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LB0917/pseuds/LB0917
Summary: If only he didn't belong to someone else (Scomark)
Relationships: Scott Hoying/Mark Manio
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Electric

Mark really wasn’t in the mood for this.

He and Mason were on thin ice. He knew that. He could feel it. Mason had been pulling back from him for so long, now. The thought of losing him was terrifying, at first. Now, it just left him feeling numb.

So the last thing Mark wanted to do at the moment was to go to a music festival for days on-end, with a bunch of people he didn’t know too well.

Tyler Oakley was lucky that Mark loved him. For anyone else, he would have canceled. He didn’t even particularly like EDM. But the Electric Daisy Carnival was something that everyone else had been looking forward to.

Mark walked into the hotel, dragging slightly behind Mason, who had only said roughly ten words to him during the ride from the airport.

He wished desperately that he could read the man’s mind.

_**Tyler Oakley: Come on up to 710 when you get here! We’re drinking already and you two need to catch. up.** _

“Tyler says to come on up after we put our stuff down,” Mark offered, softly, as he caught up with his boyfriend in line for check-in. Mason nodded, smiling rigidly.

They dropped their stuff haphazardly in the corner of the room. A year ago, they would have taken their time. They would have christened the room as soon as they walked in, unable to keep their hands off of each other.

“Ready?” Mason asked, clapping his hands together lightly.

Mark only nodded, wondering just when and where things had gone so wrong.

“My favorites!” Tyler squealed, throwing himself at Mason as soon as the door opened. Mason grinned, lifting the small blond off of the floor and squeezing him.

He looked happier than Mark had seen him in weeks.

“Come in, come in!” Tyler exclaimed, leading Mark by the hand into the suite.

The suite was extravagant, but Mark would never have expected anything less. A bunch of men were running around, looking as though Tyler had been correct, and that they did indeed have a lot of catching up to do to get on this level.

Tyler introduced them to person after person, and Mason looked excited to be there, meeting new people and having the time of his life.

If only he felt the same way about Mark, anymore.

Mark decided, after several minutes of looking at _absolutely nothing_ on his phone, in the corner of the room, like some pathetic wallflower, that perhaps he should make some small talk with a man who looked just as out-of-place as he felt.

The man was around his size. Handsome, Mark supposed. Tan, and lean. Mark had never seen him around before.

“Hey,” Mark said softly, sitting down next to the man. His eyes lit up at the sound of Mark’s voice. It was actually sweet, watching the realization hit this man that someone wanted to include him.

“Hey there,” he replied, his voice edged with a tone of surprise.

“I’m Mark,” Mark offered, holding out his hand.

“Shawn.” He shook it, smiling.

“How do you know Tyler?” Mark asked, after the moment of awkward silence that followed.

“I don’t, really. Well, not terribly well. I’m seeing this guy. Nothing too formal, yet. Just casually. He’s close with Tyler.”

“Oh? Where is he?” Mark asked, wondering why Shawn had been ditched in a manner similar to how Mason was off being the life of the party on the balcony.

“He isn’t here yet. He had a meeting this morning, so I came with Tyler. He should be here any minute. Then I’ll feel a little bit more… involved, I’m sure,” Shawn laughed nervously.

“Ah, cool. Well, I’ll keep you company until he gets here. How’s that? My boyfriend is going a little bit too crazy for me right now,” Mark said, unsure of where his sudden honesty was coming from. 

“That sounds good. Thank you,” Shawn replied, smiling softly. “Which one is he?”

Mark eyed his boyfriend through the glass balcony doors, and pointed. “That one. His name is Mason.”

The words came out hollow. Not at all fond, the way that it would have been at the beginning.

There was a knock at the door, and Mark watched Shawn’s eyes light up again.

A fair reaction for someone to have when someone they are interested in arrives, Mark supposed, icily.

Tyler disappeared down the narrow hall to the door, grinning. He returned shortly after, pulling a tall, muscular man by the hand.

Mark’s breath hitched, like he had been electrocuted. The man was beautiful.

He had blond hair swept to one side, and some of the most stunning eyes Mark had ever seen. He was dressed impeccably, in a black button-down and jeans that fit perfectly. He looked far too well-dressed for a messy party in a hotel room.

“There you are,” Shawn said, standing and embracing the blond man. Mark watched as the blond flashed the smaller man a gorgeous smile. “You’re overdressed, gorgeous.”

The blond looked down at his own outfit choice. “I had no time after my meeting! Couldn’t show up to RCA looking like I’m going to a frat party,” he laughed, pecking the smaller man on the cheek.

“Mark! This is Scott. Scott, Mark was keeping me company as I sat here looking like a total loser.”

“Thanks for keeping my loser company, Mark,” Scott said, flashing him the same beautiful smile, and grimacing as Shawn smacked him in the chest, playfully. He rubbed at the point of impact, pouting.

“It was no problem. You… you look familiar.”

Mark couldn’t place it, but he definitely knew this face from somewhere. How he could have forgotten where from, he had no idea.

Scott looked at him, thoughtfully, but was interrupted by Tyler, who shoved a shot glass in his hand. “You’re too sober. Take this now,” Tyler ordered, laughing. “And Mark, you probably know him from my Youtube channel. He’s one half of Superfruit. We ate sausages together.”

Scott cocked an eyebrow. “Please do not introduce me as the guy you ate sausages with on your Youtube channel, ever again.” He took the shot, cringing afterwards. “Delicious…”

“Here’s another one for that snide comment!” Tyler shoved another in his hand, smiling. “He’s also in Pentatonix, Marky. And I’ve known him since forever.”

Scott took the second shot, as Shawn clung to his side.

“Yes.. Superfruit. You and your friend are funny,” Mark offered, lamely. “And Pentatonix is incredible, too.”

Scott bowed his head for a moment. “Thank you! But you don’t have to pretend to know what either of those things are,” Scott laughed, and Tyler laughed along with him.

“No, I’m serious! I just didn’t recognize you… in those Superfruit videos, you looked a lot younger.”

“Yeah, he’s old as shit now,” Tyler joked, and Mark could feel his cheeks turning red. That wasn’t what he meant, at all.

Perhaps he should stop talking altogether, before he accidentally _really_ insults this gorgeous man.

“Ty, you’re like, two years older than me,” Scott jabbed, feigning offense.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t old as shit, too!” Tyler defended, this time, shoving the whole bottle of vodka into his hand.

“Are you trying to _kill me?”_ Scott asked, eyeing the bottle.

“You’re a lot more fun when you’re a mess!” Tyler exclaimed, laughing.

“He’s right. He is definitely a fun drunk,” Shawn chimed in, looking at Mark.

There was a look in his eyes as he did so. Almost challenging. As though he was daring Mark to try to take him.

It was strange, and it made Mark feel instantly uneasy.

“Where’s _your man,_ Mark?” Tyler asked, saving him.

Mark looked in the direction he had seen Mason last, but a loud crashing sound made them all jump.

“It isn’t a party without some broken shit!” Mason yelled, eliciting cheers from a bunch of men surrounding him.

Tyler groaned. “I’m dead.”

Scott patted the smaller blond on the shoulder. “That, you are…”

“Mark, control your boyfriend,” Tyler joked, pointing at Mason.

Mark was embarrassed, again, as he watched Scott’s eyes widen at the realization that _that crazy man_ was attached to Mark in any way, shape or form.

“Noted. I got it,” Mark muttered, leaving them to reel in his boyfriend, who was now singing at the top of his lungs.

This was going to be a long weekend.

Mark watched from across the table, a few hours later, as Mason made a fool of himself again.

Why they thought that a sit-down dinner was a good idea after all of the drinking that had occurred, Mark had not even the slightest clue.

Mason was now seated in Tyler’s lap, and _Jesus Christ,_ why was he _licking his face?_

Mark scanned the rest of the table, allowing his eyes to settle on Scott. He was looking at his phone as Shawn whispered something in his ear. Scott smiled softly, and leaned over to peck the other man on the cheek again.

Mark panicked as Shawn locked eyes with him in that moment, and Mark watched his eyes narrow. Shawn reached for Scott’s jaw in the next moment, kissing him harshly.

Scott looked like he was trying to pull away, but Shawn held him in place.

For some reason, Mark couldn’t look away.

They broke apart after what felt like an eternity, and for some reason, Mark realized that he had been holding his breath as he watched.

Scott leaned forward and whispered in Shawn’s ear again, and Shawn laughed loudly, making brief eye contact with Mark again.

His eyes flashed with something again. Was it possessiveness?

They went to a club afterwards. Mark had tried to bow out gracefully, with Mason by his side, but Mason refused.

So here Mark was, watching his friends and new faces grinding up on one another in a sticky, sweaty mess.

The couch dipped next to him and he was surprised to find those beautiful eyes looking at him.

“You aren’t having any fun,” Scott mused, looking at him softly.

Mark laughed quietly. “A little tired.”

“Here,” Scott offered, holding out a small glass. Mark took it, and Scott hit the glass with his own. “To keeping up with these animals.”

Mark smiled and downed the shot. “Where’s Shawn?”

Scott looked down for a moment. “That’s kind of why I came to check on you. He’s over there. With yours.”

Scott pointed to the dancefloor, where Mason and Shawn were grinding against one another. The sight was downright raunchy, the way that Mason’s hands were all over Shawn’s body.

“Oh my God… I am so sorry,” Mark began, his voice breaking with panic.

Scott’s eyes narrowed. “What are you sorry for?”

“He’s out of control. I’ll go get him…” Mark stood, but Scott pulled him back down by the elbow.

“That, right there? That is not your responsibility. And the fact that you think it is, is actually pretty heartbreaking.”

Mark paused, mulling over Scott’s words.

“And if you are feeling anything right now, it should be hurt. I’m sorry that your boyfriend is doing that to you. I’ll go pull Shawn off of him.”

Scott moved to stand, but Mark mirrored his action from a moment earlier, keeping him seated.

“Shouldn’t you be hurt, too?”

Scott shrugged. “Shawn and I aren’t really… not officially, anyway. Shawn’s always had a bit of a wandering eye…”

Scott looked at his feet, sadly.

“There they are,” a slurred voice interrupted, and Scott’s lap was immediately filled with a smaller body. Shawn leaned in and kissed his cheek, and Mason flopped down on the couch next to Mark, not making an effort to touch him at all.

“This is Mason,” Shawn introduced. “Mason, this is my boyfriend, Scott.”

Scott’s eyes widened only for a moment, an action that wasn’t missed by Mark.

“Hi, Scott. Was wondering when I’d get the chance to meet you,” Mason smiled, charmingly.

Mark felt anger bubble up within him. Not because he felt betrayed that Mason was beginning to flirt within a minute of knowing this man, but because he felt embarrassed that he was doing it right in front of him.

“Nice to meet you, Mason. I’ve been getting to know your boyfriend, here. He’s a real sweetheart.”

Shawn’s eyes narrowed. Mason simply stared back at the blond, blankly.

“Yeah, Marky’s great. So is Shawn, you know.” Mason replied.

Scott nodded. “Yeah, you seem to like one another.”

Mark could hardly stand the passive-aggressive comments anymore.

Mark excused himself to the restroom, leaving the other three sitting there, awkwardly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an emotion flash in Scott’s features.

It almost looked like disappointment.

Mark took a few deep breaths, trying to compose himself at the sink.

He didn’t know why he was here. Why was he wasting his time?

He wasn’t happy. He hadn’t been in a long time.

He took one extra deep breath for good measure, and headed back out into the crowded club. He scanned the VIP area quickly, and his eyes landed immediately on his boyfriend.

Mason was leaned over, talking closely into Scott’s ear, his hand gripping his waist, tightly.

Scott didn’t look enthused.

He looked bored. Annoyed.

Feeling a rush of secondhand embarrassment again, he trudged over to the three men again, and as he did so, it was Scott’s turn to excuse himself.

He sat cautiously. Mason laughed at him. “You chased him away,” Mason pouted. Shawn laughed. “Shawn was going to share.”

Mark’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

Mason tilted his head back and barked out a laugh. “I’m just kidding, babe. Relax. I’m yours.”

“I’m gonna go. Getting far too horny to sit here for much longer. Where did mine go?”

Mason smiled at his new friend. “Have fun. Looks like he’s a good time.”

“Oh… don’t you worry. I’ll have plenty of fun. I always do, with that one.” Shawn winked, and wandered off.

Mark watched his retreating back, feeling a pang of jealousy in his chest.

_What the hell was that?_


	2. Insulated

Scott allowed Shawn to pull him through the threshold of the hotel room. He was exhausted, and quite frankly, a little bit sick of the man with whom he was sharing the room.

Shawn pushed him onto his back on the bed, attacking every inch of skin that he could possibly lay his lips on.

“Need you…” Shawn breathed against his neck, and reached beneath the waistband of his jeans.

Scott complied, annoyed, sure, but also filled with a sudden need to get rid of some of his pent up aggression.

He awoke the next morning with a pounding headache.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have allowed Tyler to make him catch up. Shawn was propped up against his pillows, looking at his phone.

“Surprised you’re up,” Scott mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, scanning the floor for his clothes.

Shawn laughed, and Scott knew that it wasn’t directed towards him, as he typed frantically on the screen. “Mason is so damn funny. Oh… did you say something?”

“Nope.”

He knew that Shawn’s eyes would wander. They always did, but he hadn’t expected it to happen this fast.

“Everyone here? Alright, let’s get to this festival!” Tyler exclaimed, boarding the bus first.

Scott fiddled with his snapback and the _stupid_ bandana around his neck, before following Shawn onto the bus.

He groaned inwardly as Shawn sought out a seat across the aisle from Mason and Mark, clapping Mason on the shoulder as he moved slightly behind so Scott could move in against the window.

Strategically, Scott thought, so Shawn could sit next to Mason.

Scott made eye contact with Mark, smirking a small “hello.” Mark smiled kindly at him, and Scott felt the air leave his lungs far too abruptly.

As he sat by the window, he couldn’t help but notice his heart rate pick up.

Almost as though he was nervous.

Almost.

Mason and Shawn talked animatedly across the aisle, and Scott watched as Mark played on his phone for the entirety of the ride to the festival. He wished they could at least switch seats, so Scott could talk to Mark, but he was trapped in the window seat, unable to speak a word with the two new best friends next to him.

They traipsed off of the bus quickly, leaving Mark and Scott in their wake. Scott gestured for Mark to go ahead.

_Did he just blush?_

“Let’s get a picture! Shawn called, reaching for Scott’s waist as well as Mason’s.

“Wait for Mark, at least,” Scott said, softly. Shawn rolled his eyes.

“Come here, Mark! Let’s get a picture,” Shawn called, feigning friendliness that made Scott cringe.

Mark and Mason flanked Shawn on either side, and Scott bent down in front of them.

“Cute! Damn, we are four _hot_ men.” Shawn said happily, as he looked at the image.

Before Mark or Scott could get a word in, Mason slung an arm around Shawn’s shoulder, leading him away.

“How was the rest of your night?” Scott asked casually, feeling nervous again.

Mark shrugged. “It was fine. Taking care of Mason when he’s that drunk is never very much fun. Erm… how was yours?”

Scott didn’t miss the tone of judgement in the man’s voice as he asked, but he couldn’t figure out why it was there. “It was fine.”

“Can I ask you something without you getting offended?” Mark asked after a few moments.

“You can try,” Scott said, smirking.

“Why are you with him? He doesn’t treat you particularly well. And you’re much more of a catch than he’ll ever be.”

Scott’s heart pumped painfully in his chest. His eyes narrowed.

_How dare he?_

“Probably the same reason that you’re with Mason, I guess,” Scott bit back.

Mark was quiet for a moment, so Scott shot a quick glance at him. He looked hurt.

“Sorry. That was uncalled for. I guess the answer is, no, you can’t ask me a question without me getting offended,” Scott laughed, uneasily.

“Mason and I used to be solid. I don’t know what’s going on,” Mark nearly whispered.

“How long have you been together?” Scott asked, his voice completely changed.

“Four years.”

“...Whoa.”

“Yeah. He used to be… I don’t know. He used to like me?” Mark said, blushing. “That sounds so pathetic, but I feel like he hates me, all of a sudden.”

“Did anything happen? Cheating?” Scott asked, a genuine interest evident in his tone. He couldn’t wrap his head around why anyone would treat this man with anything less than unconditional adoration. He seemed pretty close to perfect, in Scott’s eyes.

Mark shook his head. “Not that I know of, anyway. Although, I feel like that might actually change soon…”

Scott eyed the men in front of them, their arms slung over each other’s shoulders, rubbing each other’s backs and laughing lightheartedly, as though they had known each other forever.

“Shawn only really wants me for one thing.” Scott confessed, blushing slightly, himself.

“Maybe those two deserve each other,” Mark replied, feeling a stinging in the back of his eyes. The tears weren’t out of sadness. Of that he was pretty sure. But perhaps they were out of loneliness.

Scott laughed coldly. “Maybe.”

The EDC festival had proceeded much the way it had begun. Mason and Shawn hit it off, clearly, leaving Scott and Mark in the shadows. Somehow, neither of them really found themselves minding, and they felt oddly at-ease in the presence of one another, as though they were old friends.

In the months after, Shawn and Mason wanted to do nearly everything with each other. Scott found himself caring less and less, as long as Mark was there as well.

Mark was quickly becoming a good friend. He looked forward to spending time with the man. He was kind and sweet, and he laughed at everything Scott had to say, which fed Scott’s ego perfectly.

Mark had a gentleness about him that was refreshing.

Scott admired the way that Mark laughed. It was pretty, the way his head flew backwards, and the way his eyes flashed with joy.

Did his heart flutter in his chest when Mark would text him? Absolutely.

Once again, Mark and Scott had been left alone at a dingy bar, while Mason and Shawn had gone off to have a smoke.

“What’s going on with your music?” Mark asked, lightly. Scott had watched Mark grow increasingly comfortable with him over the past few months, and he had been thankful to see Mark’s walls coming down slowly.

Scott’s eyes lit up at the mention of his music. “We’re going on tour, soon. It’s going to be pretty amazing.”

Mark’s face fell, only for a moment, but Scott was able to catch the expression just in time. “When’s that?”

“In three weeks. It’s just a North American tour, this time. We’re trying to arrange a European leg at the end. Fingers crossed,” Scott replied, smiling hopefully.

“Is Shawn going with you?”

Scott shook his head. “Didn’t want to.”

“Why on earth wouldn’t he want to?” Mark asked, sounding truly baffled.

Scott laughed. “Probably wants to stay and hang out with you guys. I think he likes you both better than me, these days.”

Mark’s expression was one of pity, and Scott would have none of that. “I’m just kidding. He says he can’t get off from work for that long. He might join me for a week or so. But we still aren’t officially dating, so I can’t really put any pressure on him like that. Wouldn’t be fair.”

“What he’s doing to _you_ isn’t very fair,” Mark replied, and Scott was stunned.

“I don’t think I know what you mean,” Scott replied, challengingly.

“I thought that by now you would be official, or something. You know?” Mark’s voice held a bitterness to it, that Scott couldn’t wrap his head around. “He’s what? Still just using you?”

There was that judgement again. Scott couldn’t fathom why this kept happening. These small jabs were becoming irritating very quickly.

And very, very, embarrassing.

Scott’s eyes narrowed. “He isn’t using me.”

“You said it yourself. He only wants you for one thing.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s using me.”

“...That’s exactly what that means. Unless you meant that he only wants you for your heart and brains, which I’m going to be honest, is not what I had assumed you meant. Especially when, the night we met you, he was pretty much describing what he was going to do to you when he got you back up to the hotel room.” Mark wasn’t sure where this sudden word vomit had come from, but it felt good to be this open with his new friend who was quickly becoming an important person in Mark’s life.

Scott didn’t look happy.

No. Scott looked _pissed._

“What Shawn and I do together isn’t really any of your business.”

Mark’s eyes softened, realizing that he had offended him. “I know it isn’t…”

“I don’t judge your relationship. Not to your face, anyway.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Scott scoffed. “You think _my_ relationship is fucked up? Take a look at yours. Mason hates you most of the time, you said that yourself. And I know the feeling is mutual just by looking at how you react when you see him walk into a room.”

Mark felt his eyes burn, and willed himself not to cry with those hurtful words. “You’re right. Your relationship is none of my business, and mine is none of yours.”

Scott stood up then, his face cold. “At least Shawn wants to get in my pants. At least he likes _something_ about me. Not sure that you can say the same for your relationship.”

And with that, Scott was gone.

Mark wasn’t sure what emotion was strongest within him in that moment. Was it anger, because _how dare he?_ Or was it sadness, because _how did he know?_


	3. Blackout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have nothing really to say today, other than a request that if you're reading and you like what you see, please shoot kudos or a comment in my direction! :D

They didn’t talk much, after that.

Scratch that. They didn’t talk at all, after that.

Scott made excuses when Shawn would join Mark and Mason for nights out. Once his tour had begun, it was like the man never existed.

Mark’s eyes narrowed as he watched Shawn dance with a tall, muscular man with greasy hair, one night.

Scott was in Atlanta. Or was it St. Louis? Mark couldn’t keep track. But he wasn’t here, that was certain.

“What’s up your ass?” Mason asked, plopping down on a barstool next to him.

“Nothing. Why?”

“You’re looking at Shawn like he’s the scum of the earth.”

“Well, if I were dancing like that with someone else, how would you feel?”

Mason searched Mark’s face for a moment. “You aren’t dating Shawn, so I struggle to find the point of this.”

His tone was condescending.

“Scott shouldn’t have to worry about that. That’s all I mean.”

Mason laughed. “Scott is a big boy. He can handle it. Shawn said Scott’s probably out every night as well, taking his pick of any guy he wants. Scott’s no angel, love. Shawn met him for a reason. He’s actually quite the slut, from what I’ve heard.”

There was an edge of laughter in Mason’s voice that made Mark want to slap him.

But there was a pit in Mark’s stomach, too, and he couldn’t place why that was. It almost felt like jealousy… or was it longing?

“When he gets back, I’ll bet you anything we can convince him to sleep with us. Let’s make a bet.”

Mark stared at Mason, unblinking. He recalled the night they met the blond, and how he had made a similar remark. “I don’t want to have a threesome.”

Mason laughed. “We wouldn’t actually do it. We would only ask, and see if he agreed. To prove my point that you’re worrying about that cockslut over _nothing.”_

There was an awkward silence as they watched Shawn continue to dance, all while Mark refrained from screaming at Mason for describing Scott as anything other than wonderful.

“But if he said yes… you really wouldn’t want to… you know… just for the night?” Mason asked.

Mark didn’t miss the hopeful tone, and he wondered why he was still here, at all.

One month later, Mark was sick of watching Shawn with his tongue down yet another man’s throat.

_Shawn and Scott aren’t together, they aren’t together, they aren’t together._

Mark closed his eyes to rid himself of the view. He took a shot, hoping to numb the strange sensation he was feeling: a mixture of missing Scott, hating Scott, and hating Shawn more than anything.

A vibration broke him from his mantra. He eyed Shawn’s phone on the bar, where he had abandoned it, only half-asking and half-demanding that Mark keep an eye on it.

Scott’s smiling face illuminated the screen.

God, that face was beautiful.

It wasn’t like Mark hadn’t seen it in a while. He was spending most of his time watching old Pentatonix and Superfruit videos, these days. If Mason knew...

Mark was overcome with anger again. Jealousy again, maybe? Mark still couldn’t place it.

It was almost as though he was angry that Scott wasn’t calling _him._

And the added alcohol certainly wasn’t helping his train of thought.

He thought back to that night, when Scott had attacked him for doing nothing more than _caring._ Mark answered the FaceTime call, and watched as Scott’s smile faltered.

“Hey, Mark.”

“Hi, Scott. Here, let me get Shawn for you.”

“...Thanks…”

Mark changed the camera direction, focusing on Shawn and his… _dance partner._ Mark supposed you could still call him that, even though their tongues were the only things dancing around one another, anymore.

He realized his mistake a bit too late, as he watched Scott’s eyes clench shut.

The FaceTime call clicked off a moment later, leaving Mark feeling more than a little guilty.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Shawn was suddenly screaming in his face, turning an unnatural shade of red.

Shawn grabbed his phone much too aggressively. “What gives you the right to answer my calls? What the hell, Mark?”

He was in his face, and Mark just needed _air_ all of a sudden, as it felt as though the walls were caving in.

He felt like utter _shit._

“You’ll never have him, you piece of shit. Understood? He knows you’re pathetic, and you just solidified that, by being a petty little _bitch._ Scott would never, and I repeat, _never,_ want you.”

Mark felt dizzy.

“I’m… sorry… he… you aren’t together…”

“You _idiot,_ yes we are!”

“He said…”

“We got together officially right before his tour, you fucking _imbecile.”_ Shawn was suddenly laughing now. “If you ruined this for me, I swear to God…”

“What’s going on?” Mason’s voice sent a chill down Mark’s spine.

“Ask your fucking idiot of a boyfriend.”

Mark shouldn’t have expected Mason to defend him, but when it didn’t happen, it still stung.

“What did you do, Mark?”

“I’m gonna go…”

He was out on the street a moment later, feeling as though he might be sick.

Scott didn’t deserve that. What the hell was he thinking?

Scott sighed as the FaceTime request came in the following morning. He ran his hands through his hair, wishing he had slept even for a little while.

He hovered over the “decline” button, before changing his mind. He hit the “accept” button with such ferocity, it was as though the button had committed a crime against him.

Brown eyes met his through the screen. They were red-rimmed, and Scott’s heart broke all over again.

“I’m so sorry…”

Scott shook his head. “It’s okay, Shawn.”

“...what?”

Scott sighed. He was so damn _frustrated._ He had been able to remain faithful to Shawn since the second they had become official. In the back of his mind, he had already known that the same couldn’t be said for his boyfriend, but to have it rubbed in his face like that?

Scott felt more betrayed by Mark than anything.

“I said… it’s okay. I know this was my fault.”

Shawn’s eyes softened further, and flashed with hope.

“I miss having you close to me,” Shawn cooed, effectively wrapping Scott further around his finger.

“I know. I hate being away. I know that you aren’t getting what you need. Not from me, anyway.” Scott mumbled, picking at his cuticles.

“I was pretending he was you,” Shawn’s fake confession left his mouth with such ease. “I miss the way you feel, the way you taste. God… but hey, you’ll be back with me in two weeks.”

“Right.”

Scott sounded heartbroken, and Shawn actually found himself overcome with remorse.

“But I can’t do this. I have to let you go, I think.”

Shawn felt dizzy.

“No… babe… you don’t have to…”

“I do. I have to. Maybe… maybe we can revisit everything when I come home. But Shawn, I can’t keep making you feel this lonely.”

And then it clicked.

Scott wasn’t really sorry. He was hurt. Angry. He was pretending to be the nice, understanding one, making the sacrifice.

Fucking asshole.

“Yeah. If you hadn’t left me here, all alone… maybe we could have been stronger for one another.”

Scott’s eyes narrowed for a moment. “I guess you’re right.”

“Take care of yourself, Scott.”

“You too, Shawny.”

Shawn hung up, fighting back the lump in his throat.

He hadn’t expected it to hurt this much.

He hadn’t realized how much he had cared about this.

About him.

“Gonna go out with Shawn tonight, babe,” Mason muttered, looking for his phone in the couch cushions.

Mark looked up from his laptop, surprised at the lack of a heads up, and ignored the pet name that sounded cold coming from Mason. It had been nearly a week since Mark had thrown a grenade onto Shawn’s relationship, and he was shocked that he would want to see him this soon.

“Oh, okay… do I have time to shower, quickly?”

Mason shook his head. “Sorry, Mark. I meant that _I’m_ going to go out with Shawn.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Mason’s face flashed with sympathy for a split second, but it was gone before Mark could even register it. “He needs a friend tonight. Scott dumped him.”

Mason said the words slowly, keeping his eyes fixated on Mark as he did so.

Almost as though he was assessing his reaction.

Mark made sure that his face didn’t even flinch, even as fireworks went off in his chest cavity.

“Tell him I hope he feels better.”

“Yeah, will do,” Mason replied, pecking him on the cheek.

It was the most intimacy he had shown in months.

Mark opened his texts as soon as Mason left. He typed frantically.

_**New Text to Scott Hoying: I just heard. I hope you’re okay. I’m here if you need anything. I mean that, Scott.** _

Mark hovered over the “send” button with shaky fingers. He groaned, deleting the message and shoving the phone back in his pocket.

What the hell was he going to do tonight?

Superfruit videos sounded like a perfectly viable option, he supposed.

He wasn’t sure why he was doing this to himself. He opened one with Connor Franta, whom he knew on a casual level as well. Did he open it out of curiosity to see if there was chemistry between them? Maybe.

He found himself laughing at some of the questions. But all of a sudden, they were talking about Scott’s high sex drive… and Mark closed his laptop.

Perhaps he wasn’t ready to watch this one.

He opened it again, settling on a freestyle rap challenge video.

The amount of censored words made Mark blush. Did Scott just… rap about…?

Okay, maybe that one should wait, too.

He gave up when he found a fan-made compilation of Scott and Mitch moaning.

That was _certainly_ enough of that.

The mattress dipped a few hours later, and Mark pretended to continue to sleep as Mason crawled in with him, smelling like stale beer and cigarettes.

He wished for a different smell. More like vanilla…

Vanilla reminded him of Scott.

Mark’s heart panged with longing at that thought.

Mark had fully accepted this feeling as longing, at this point.

He was doomed to a constant nagging craving. He was convinced of that.


	4. Capacitance

“It’s my birthday, bitches!”

Scott rolled his eyes as Tyler ran by with a princess crown, wondering how it was possible for a 29-year-old to act this way. He found himself smiling fondly as Mitch cackled with laughter by his side.

He was happy for some down time with friends whom he hadn’t seen in quite some time. Sure, he had seen plenty of Mitch, during their American and European legs of tour, as well as their Christmas tour right after.

Now it was March, and Scott was exhausted. He was certainly glad to have these few months off.

But somehow, surrounded by all of these people, he still felt lonely.

His heart began to pound when he eyed the doorway. Mason was walking through it, grinning from ear to ear.

He hadn’t seen them since… last May?

Scott laughed to himself. Of course it was last May. He knew the exact date, actually.

May 12th.

And the fateful FaceTime call happened on June 28th.

But who was keeping track? Certainly not Scott. That would be pathetic.

His heart pounded more violently as he watched Mark walk in, clutching Mason’s hand.

How the _hell_ were they still together?

And how the _hell_ did Mark get _more handsome?_

“Wanna go outside?” Mitch asked, looking at him with understanding eyes.

Leave it to Mitch to know exactly what Scott needed at all times.

Scott nodded, and followed the smaller man out to the back yard.

At least Shawn wasn’t with them, in some sort of awkward throuple.

Scott cringed.

Mark scanned the room as soon as they walked in. There were about a thousand people here, Mark figured, aggravatedly, but he would expect nothing less for the birthday of Tyler Oakley.

He wondered if it would be too awkward to simply ask the small blond man if Scott was coming tonight.

“My favorites!” Tyler yelled, embracing each of them the same way he had for years. “Where’s Shawn?” His tone was suddenly slightly judgmental, and aimed only at Mason.

Mark felt a pang in his heart.

“We aren’t really friends anymore,” Mason replied, narrowing his eyes in an effort to challenge Tyler to ask further questions about it.

“Good. Well I’m glad you two figured it out. Come on in.”

Mark followed close behind, continuing to scan the crowd.

Bingo.

Through the sliding glass doors, he could just make out Scott’s silhouette, talking to a group of people, who were all looking at him with adoration.

He watched, unable to look away, as Scott laughed and sipped his drink.

Why couldn’t Mark remember how to _breathe_ , suddenly?

He shut his eyes and clenched his fists. What was wrong with him?

“Hi, Mark.”

Mark opened his eyes, realizing how insane he must look. He snapped his head around, looking for Mason, but finding that he had wandered away to the bar. His eyes settled on the source of the voice.

“Hey, Mitch. How have you been?”

Mitch smiled, kindly. Mark had always liked Mitch very much, though they had only met a handful of times. He appreciated how protective he and Scott were of one another.

“I’m good. We’re off for a few months, so I’m glad we were able to come and celebrate Tyler with all of you. It’s been a while…”

Mitch’s voice trailed off, as though he was mulling over whether he should take a jab at the old wound.

“Shawn isn’t here, right?” Mitch settled upon asking.

Mark shook his head. “We don’t talk to Shawn anymore.”

“I heard what Mason did. That’s pretty… messed up.”

Mitch’s voice held a tone of understanding. No judgement, no pity. It was refreshing.

Then it hit him, though, that if Mitch had heard, Scott definitely had as well.

“It wasn’t easy… but we’re moving on.”

Mitch’s eyes widened for a moment. “Still together? That’s great. I don’t know if I’d be… strong enough for that. After catching him cheating on me with our friend, and all…”

Oh. _There_ was the judgement.

“He knows he made a mistake. He wants to keep trying.”

Mitch stared blankly at him. “What do _you_ want?”

Mark thought about laying it all out on the table, despite the fact that he hadn’t yet had a single sip of alcohol to ease his inhibitions. Should he come out and say, “I want your best friend more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life, even though I haven’t seen him in nearly a year,”?

No, that probably wasn’t the best idea.

“I want to move forward and be happy.”

There. It wasn’t a complete lie.

“Hi, Mitch. Nice to see you,” a cold voice rang out.

Mason slipped an arm around Mark’s shoulder. It was almost startling to feel that hand against him, considering the fact that it hardly ever touched him anymore.

“Hey, Mason. Good to see you, too.”

“Where’s your partner in crime?” Mason asked, looking around, before settling his gaze on Scott through the door. “Nevermind, found him. Tour was good?”

“Um… yeah. Tour was great, thanks.” Mitch suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable, shifting back and forth on his feet. A light rapping sound on the glass made them all turn.

Scott was knocking on the glass, and gesturing for Mitch to return to him with a kind smile.

It was a beautiful smile.

Mark inwardly cringed. Scott thought Mitch needed saving from them.

They were _those people_ in Scott’s mind.

“You two stay, I’m gonna go say hi,” Mason said, smiling, and turned on his heel before either of his companions could protest.

“Should we be worried about this?” Mitch asked, cringing.

Mark had no idea.

He watched in horror as Mason clapped Scott on the back, squeezing the back of his neck and shaking him, aggressively, with a phony smile on his face.

He watched him talk animatedly, laugh obnoxiously, and keep his hand right there on the taller man’s back.

He watched Scott’s muscles tighten, and he watched him exchange a pleading look with another person in the group, his mouth forming only single-word answers.

He watched Mason lean in and whisper in Scott’s ear, laughing as he let him go afterwards.

He watched Scott grimace, and look at the floor.

Mason leaned forward, whispering several more things to the man, and Mark watched as Scott simply shook his head each time.

Mark had had enough.

“Hey, Mase. You okay?” Mark found himself asking as he strided forward with Mitch at his heels.

“Why wouldn’t I be, babe?” Mason asked, a threatening tone seeping from his lips, and he reached up to grab the back of Scott’s neck again. “Look who it is. Your old bestie.”

Mark fought the urge to smack Mason’s hand away as he watched him shake Scott again.

“Hi, Scott,” Mark offered. “Mase, let’s go get another drink.”

“Nah, I’m good. Scotty and I here are commiserating. You see… we both are experiencing loss. You know?”

Mark wasn’t sure how Mason was already slurring his words. How much had he had to drink when he left Mark alone?

“Scotty here lost Shawn… because of you.”

Mark’s eyes narrowed. Scott stared at the floor, as the group of his friends shot him looks of pity and dispersed, wanting nothing to do with this conversation, anymore.

“And I… am losing you. Because of this piece of shit, right here.”

Mason shook Scott by the neck again, and Mark could see the blond’s fist clenching.

“Mase… you aren’t making any sense. Let’s go inside, okay?” Mark said, slowly, pleading with his boyfriend just to shut up before he embarrassed anyone further.

“You see… do you know _why_ I went crawling to Shawn? Do you?” Mason asked, looking at Scott. “You see… my boyfriend here… Mark. Mark Manio, if you remember… he’s slipping away from me. Slowly but surely. And you know why?” Mason’s voice was shaking.

Mark wanted the floor to eat him up, to suck him straight to the gates of hell, for all he cared. What on earth was he thinking?

“Mark likes your YouTube videos, you know. He watches Superfruit all the time. He also likes your Instagram, Scotty. A lot. Tell me, do you have an OnlyFans? I think Marky would like to subscribe.”

Mason’s eyes were cold as he looked at Mark before continuing. “You give him good dreams, I guess. You seem to be in them a lot, at least. Either you’re killing him slowly, flaying his skin off in a downright _torturous_ way… or you’re giving him more pleasure than I’ve ever been able to, well… that remains to be seen. What do you think, Marky? Which is it? What makes you moan his name at ungodly hours of the night?”

It all made sense. The nail in Mark’s coffin was right in front of him all along. Mason knew. And Mason had been punishing him.

Sure, they had been distant since before Scott appeared in the picture, but the spite? The cheating? That only happened as of late.

How could he be so stupid?

Mark could feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment, and the back of his eyes stung with tears that he _refused_ to shed.

He would not look any more pathetic in this situation than he already did. He was determined.

Well, shit. There goes that. Here come the tears.


	5. Surge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the last chapter! Tomorrow I will be starting a new one that I'm pretty happy with. There is also plenty of Scomark goodness to come in that one, so please keep your eyes peeled! :) As always, thanks so much for reading. I appreciate you <3

“Mark… Mark, wait.”

Mark couldn’t stop to look behind him. He couldn’t bear to face what had just occurred. He had just been humiliated beyond anything he had ever experienced in his entire life.

“Mark. Please, just wait.”

It wasn’t the voice he was hoping for, he registered after a moment. He paused in the driveway, turning slowly to lock eyes with Mitch.

“That wasn’t fair.”

Mark was silent. It was a better alternative to, “Of course it wasn’t fucking _fair,_ I’m humiliated six ways to Sunday, but thanks for your pity.”

They turned to find Scott walking towards them, looking at the ground like it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

“I’m gonna leave you guys to it. Scott… tell me you didn’t retaliate?” Mitch asked, hopefully.

Scott smirked, shaking his head. “He lives to see another day.”

Mitch nodded, returning to the house behind them. Mark suddenly couldn’t make himself look into the blue eyes he had been missing desperately for the past year.

“Is it true?”

Mark wondered if he could get away with a full-out sprint into the woods behind them.

“That was the first time Mason said any of those things to me,” Mark decided to confess, as he took a seat on the curb.

Scott sat next to him, allowing him to sit in silence for a moment.

“Do you really watch my videos?”

Mark could hear the smirk in the blond’s voice, and a blush crept up his cheeks.

“I may dabble in Superfruit. You’re funny.”

Scott laughed, leaning back on his hands. “You could have texted me. I could have given you more funny content. _Personalized_ funny content.”

“Last I had spoken to you, you weren’t my biggest fan, from what I can recall.”

Mark couldn’t cover up the hurt in his voice.

“Yeah well… your delivery may not have been ideal, but I’m thankful that you were the one to rid me of that poison…”

“Yeah, I somehow inherited that poison in my life. Karma’s a bitch, I guess.”

They laughed together. It was the first time that Mark found himself laughing at the whole situation. It felt so _good_ to laugh.

It felt good to hear Scott laugh again.

“I thought about texting you a lot, you know,” Scott nearly whispered.

Mark paused, feeling his heartbeat rise. “Why didn’t you?”

Scott shrugged. “After our argument before I left… and then the FaceTime call… you didn’t really seem to like me too much.”

“I felt awful for doing that. I don’t know what came over me.”

Mark stopped his train of thought. That wasn’t true at all.

Mark took a deep breath. “That’s a lie. I know exactly what came over me. I was so _done_ with Mason, with being ignored. And I looked at how Shawn was treating you, and I was pretty sure that it was even worse than what I was going through. And neither of us deserve that, you know? We’re good people, no matter what anyone else says…”

“No matter what anyone else says?” Scott looked confused.

“Mason said Shawn told him that you were… a bit promiscuous, too.”

Scott laughed. And he didn’t stop. He was hunched over, turning red with laughter. Mark watched, dumbfounded.

“Shawn is so full of shit, I think I can smell him from here,” Scott finally breathed out, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

“He made it sound like… you were... seeing... other people while you were on tour.”

Scott shook his head, a smile still gracing his lips. “That’s such a crock. I was so faithful to him, I actually feel stupid. I am a _loyal_ girl.”

They laughed, and Mark felt a sudden rush of relief, but he wasn’t sure why.

“Why are you still with Mason?” Scott asked suddenly. Mark nearly fell over.

He clenched his eyes shut to prepare himself to answer. “I have no idea.”

“You told me I deserved better. But don’t you know that you do, too?”

Mark felt stupid, just the way that Scott said he had felt. He couldn’t look at Scott. He couldn’t bear to.

He felt a soft hand beneath his chin, tilting his head to gaze into those gorgeous blue orbs.

“You deserve so much better,” Scott whispered, rubbing his thumb along Mark’s jaw.

Mark could look at this face for the rest of his life and be perfectly content.

“Do I deserve you?” Mark asked, his head pulsating with his blood pressure, thinking he might pass out.

“No.”

Mark’s heart sank.

“You deserve much, much more than me. You deserve the best,” Scott replied, sadly.

“Can I make that decision for myself?”

“You aren’t the best decision-maker, Mr. Manio.”

Mark laughed, feeling a sudden rush of confidence. “How about you kiss me, and we take it from there?”

Scott leaned forward, pulling Mark against his lips.

Mark wasn’t sure if his heart stopped pumping blood altogether, or if time had simply halted after it’s last beat.

Mark knew that people referenced electricity when they kissed the right person.

Now he knew why.

The light was not particularly welcomed the next morning. Mark squinted in the sunlight, temporarily wondering why he felt so weightless inside.

Then he remembered.

Well, he didn’t actually just simply remember. He simply realized where he was.

He was in Scott’s house.

Laying in Scott’s bed, to be more precise.

And if anyone ever asked him personally if Scott was a… what was it? A cockslut? Mark would laugh in their face.

Why, you ask?

Mark tiptoed out into the living room, and took in the sight that met his eyes.

Scott was curled up on the couch with a blanket that didn’t quite reach his feet. He was laid out haphazardly in a manner that screamed, “I’m going to need a chiropractor, STAT.” A couch pillow was placed over his eyes, indicating that the brightness of the room was bothering him, as well.

Scott stirred when Mark let out a small laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” Scott mumbled, throwing the pillow in Mark’s direction. Mark dodged it just in time.

“You should have just slept in your bed. I could have slept out here. Or…” Mark faked a gasp. “We could have shared the bed.”

“What kind of floozy do you think I am, Manio?” Scott asked, sitting up on the couch and flinching when he tweaked his back just a certain way. “We have to be goin’ steady for a good long while.” Scott said in the worst old-Hollywood accent that Mark had ever heard.

It was absolutely adorable.

“Did you sleep okay?” Scott asked, his tone turning soft, mirroring the sweet look in his eyes.

Mark nodded. “Thank you… for letting me crash here. It would have been extremely awkward to go home with him immediately after the break-up extravaganza of 2018.”

“You can probably find some footage of the good parts, if we ask around,” Scott teased. “Really though. Are you alright?”

“I’m more than okay,” Mark replied, honestly. “I just needed someone to help me to be brave enough to do it.”

“Oh, so that’s what I’m here for?” Scott asked, feigning offense. Mark pushed at his shoulder, gently.

“No, stupid. You’re my rebound. But rebounds typically are down for some quicker sex… I might have to reassess my options…”

Scott was straddling his lap in the next moment, capturing his lips with his own.

There was that electricity again.

Their tongues lapped at each other, and Mark forgot how to breathe.

Scott pulled away suddenly, resting his forehead against Mark’s.

“Am I at least a frontrunner?” Scott panted.

“I’m not sure. I’m going to need to try that again.”

Scott smiled softly, returning his lips to their place against the smaller man.

“Last one?” Scott asked, throwing the box on the bed. Mark raised an eyebrow.

“What if that was fragile?” He teased.

Scott kept eye contact with him, a serious look in his eyes, as he lifted the box back off of the bed, raising it slightly above his head. He smirked as the box fell haphazardly back onto the mattress.

“You’re an ass,” Mark laughed, leaning in and pecking his boyfriend on the cheek.

“And this isn’t fragile,” Scott teased back. “Let’s finish unpacking your stuff so you can cuddle me sufficiently.”

Mark never would have expected the past year to take the turn that it had. Mason had moved out the morning after the party, cursing Mark and Scott’s names as he did so. Mark had made the place his own, and actually grew to love his little home.

What he loved more, however, was Scott Hoying.

So when Scott asked him to move in after 9 months, Mark knew that once his lease was up, there was no other option.

He smiled adoringly as Scott settled onto the couch, making grabby hands towards him to initiate his ferocious cuddle session.

Mark complied readily, excited to be in his favorite place in the world.

“Alexa,” Mark started, smiling. Scott shot him a confused look. “Play ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love,” by Kina Grannis.”

Mark settled into the grasp of the strong arms, closing his eyes as Scott’s low voice sang along, sounding like velvet.

And Mark thanked God for the Electric Daisy Carnival.


End file.
